Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khon Kaen and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $608 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$608

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Khon Kaen and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Khon Kaen and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $608 per month in Khon Kaen vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Khon Kaen $608
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,024 per month in Khon Kaen vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Khon Kaen $1,024
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,440 per month in Khon Kaen vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Khon Kaen $1,440
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Khon Kaen is about 49% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Khon Kaen and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Khon Kaen 55% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿102

$10.92 MX$205

-72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ฿1,009

$43.37 MX$813

-31.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ฿200

$11.78 MX$221

-49.66%

Cappuccino

$1.46 ฿49.33

$3.81 MX$71.4

-61.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ฿19.80

$1.28 MX$24.03

-53.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.81

$0.78 MX$14.67

-62.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ฿58.0

$3.17 MX$59.3

-45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 ฿227

$4.93 MX$92.5

36.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ฿29.13

$1.42 MX$26.56

-39.44%

Eggs

$2.47 ฿83.4

$2.52 MX$47.27

-1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.37 MX$25.64

-36.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.55 MX$47.80

-41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.89 MX$35.34

-20.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ฿20.83

$1.15 MX$21.49

-46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.69

$1.18 MX$22.09

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.58 MX$29.67

4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿40.54

$3.33 MX$62.4

-63.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ฿44.64

$1.44 MX$27.06

-8.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.6K ฿1.5M

$20.7K MX$387.3K

115.72%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K ฿895.2K

$23.5K MX$439.7K

13.10%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$94.7 ฿3,193

$84.8 MX$1,589

11.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.99 ฿607

$23.41 MX$439

-23.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.73 ฿1,003

$28.66 MX$537

3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ฿2,007

$57.1 MX$1,069

4.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ฿197

$5.14 MX$96.3

13.81%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,970 ฿302.6K

$3,927 MX$73.6K

128.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.04 ฿1,013

$43.35 MX$812

-30.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.83 ฿1,175

$41.44 MX$777

-15.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 ฿2,488

$74.2 MX$1,390

-0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ฿3,053

$89.3 MX$1,672

1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ฿9,439

$980 MX$18.4K

-71.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ฿5,261

$381 MX$7,136

-59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.6K

$1,708 MX$32.0K

-57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ฿16.2K

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-55.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Khon Kaen

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Khon Kaen

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Khon Kaen

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Khon Kaen

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Khon Kaen

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Khon Kaen

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Khon Kaen

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $280 in Khon Kaen versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Khon Kaen versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45 vs $255 – making Khon Kaen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

08:56 8:56 AM

12 h behind Khon Kaen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,459

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Khon Kaen Playa del Carmen 15,750 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Khon Kaen
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Khon Kaen vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $913 per month in Khon Kaen and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Khon Kaen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $280 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 472% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Khon Kaen and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Khon Kaen, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Khon Kaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $608 in Khon Kaen to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.